With COVID-19 limiting student activities, finding things to do has been difficult. However, a few ETSU students have created a band, Vanta Black, and have begun performing Sunday nights at Go Burrito.
Vanta Black is an up and coming alternative/punk band including Jeriko J., Jacob Hylton, Logan Fields and Caleb Guerard. Hylton and Guerard are both students at ETSU, studying Bluegrass, Old Time, and Country Music and Instrumental Music respectively. Jeriko J. and Fields are both self taught musicians.
“Our genre is a melting pot of modern rock, punk, alternative and parody rock,” the band said. “Our sound is high energy and huge. We implement areas of these genres to bring a large arena style rock show and sound into smaller venues.”
Vanta Black has been together since June 4, and has been regularly playing shows at the Rum Bar at Go Burrito. Currently, they are also exploring other venues for the future.
“We have been doing shows every Sunday for about two months, primarily in downtown Johnson City at the Rum Bar stage in Go Burrito,” the band stated. “However, we are currently in the works of branching out to other venues in our area and beyond the region.”
“We draw our sound from larger rock icons while taking inspiration from independent and underground bands to create a unique blend of alternative influences that can draw listeners in,” the band said.
Vanta Black has many plans for the future besides other venues, including more original music. They regularly cover songs by Foo Fighters and The Black Keys. Occasionally, they perform their original song “Wedding Crocs,” a song that the band states truly reflects their goofy attitude but still highlights their musical ability.
Vanta Black can be found on Instagram as @Thevanta_black and on Facebook as @thevantablackband for updates on their performances, videos and other content. Any students missing live music or a fun environment are welcome to come to their shows as posted on their social medias.
